China emerges at high-tech frontier

BEIJING - China's transition - from a country that follows the world's technological trends to one that sets them - is no longer a blueprint. It's a reality. After years focusing on innovation, China caught up fast. From artificial intelligence and genetic engineering to mobile payments and bike-sharing, Chinese firms are pulling ahead of their rivals.

Jeremy Rifkin, an economic observer and author of the New York Times bestseller "The Third Industrial Revolution", said China is becoming a global leader in the new revolutionary tide.

Rising innovation